Telephonic recording apparatus.



R. D. LAMPSON.

TELEPHONIG RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.6,1907.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. 1). LAMPSON.

TELEPHONIG RECORDING APPARATUS,

APPLICATION FILED DBG.6,1901.

91 6,458. Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

' 3 SHEBTS-SHBET 2. v

INVEN TOR R. D. LAMPSON. TELEPHONIG RECORDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6, 1907. 1

Patented Mar. 30, 1909. f a? 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR ,(Z- fJow-v WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

f UNI ED srarnsrnrnnr onnron.

ROBERT D. LAMPSON, OF NEWYORK, N: Y., ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE TO JOHN E.THOMPSON,

- OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TELEPHONIC RECORDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 30, 1909.

Application filed December 6, 1907. Serial No. 406,874.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT D. LAMPSON, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and residingat New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTelephonic Recording Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification such as will enable those skilled 1n the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My improvements in telephonic recording annunciators relates to th atclass of appara- 'tus adapted to the recording of electro telegraph-1cmessages, and has part cular reference to the adaptation of suchapparatus in connection with a system of electrical distribution,employed in the comn-iunication of intelligence, when connected up witha central station, and principally the present method of establishingtelephonic communication now in vogue.

The object of the invention lies in the adaptation and cmistruction ofan electro telegraphic recording apparatus, which will announce a callin the event of the absence of an attendant at the station signaledthrough a system, for example of telephonic commu nication, and it isthe further object of this invention to record sufficient information atthe absented stationto enable the attendant to ascertain the identity ofthe station which transmitted the alarm or signal as well as the time ofthe sending of suchisignal.

In reducing my invention to practice my attention was directed to a typeof rinting telegraphic apparatus which has liecn in vogue in connectionwith lire alarms and messenger call systems whereby records are madeupon strips of paper tape actuated by suitable motor mechanism, wherebyL1)0I1 the operation of the tape and the control of the printingmechanism the intelligence of a signaling station is comnnmicatedthrough a series of interruptions or changes in the electrical circuitinvolving the transmitting and receiving apparatus, and to this end Ihave adapted an electrical circuit, which may be completed at thecentral station of a telephonic system between two conncctcdsubscribers, to the said printing telegraphic ap aratus whercb upon thesending in of a cal either througr the central oflice, or by the callingstation direct, the tape and printing apparatus located at thc stationto which The features characteristic of my invention whereby I amenabled to attain the objeets thereof are depicted in the severalillustrations in the drawings hereto attached and forming part of thisspecification, and by the descriptive matter of the specificationrelative thereto and the distinctive features of novelty are referred tofinally in the claims.

, With reference to the draWin aFigure 1 is a diagrammatical view of atelephonic circuit connected through a central station showing theadaptation of my improvements when employed in connection with thesubscribers of a telephonic system connected by. central, Fig. 2 adiagrammatic view of the same on a somewhat enlarged scale with certainortions of the recordin apparatus in detai Fig. 3 a side elevationa'view of a callbox, one side of the casing removed in order to moreclearly show the tape feeding mechanism and the telegraphic rheotome,Fig. 4 a vertical sectional view taken through certain parts of thecall-box so as-to illustrate the electro-magnetic controlling devicestaken approximately on the line 4-, 4 of Fig. 5, and :-Fig. 5 asectional plan view of a callbox adapted to my invention with certainparts of the mechanism omitted in order to render the illustration moreclear.

In the several figures of the drawings similar characters of referenceare employed to indicate like parts wherever they occur, and (1represents a strip of tape or paper wound in the usual manner, forapparatus of this character upon adrum. b and is fed usually byspringdriveu motor mechanism, or throu 11 other suitable motive power bythe feed ro ls or wheels 0 and d.

in Figs. 3 and 41 have illustrated a form of recording apparatusoperated by a spring motor tin-(nigh the instrumcntality of a mainsprii'ig' c, driving shalt f, ratchct wheel 9, main driving wheel 7i andspring pressed pawl 'i. The feed roll 0 is driven by the main drivingwhccl it through a pinion j, which for every rcvolutiou oi the drivingwheel h makes a number of revolutions, thereby giving to thefeed roll 0a ra id rotation, while the main driving wheel 7i may make but a partialrevolution. Co-rotative with the inion 7' is an intermediate drivinggear 71: w 'ch is in mesh with a pinion l co-rotative with an escapementwheel m engaging an escapement n, and in mesh with the pinion Z is anintermediate driver 0 in mesh with the printtion at which the operatoris located consists of a spring motor, embodying the main spring e, amain driving wheel 7?, driven thereby through ja shaft f ratchet wheel gand spring pressed awl t. The driving wheel h is in mesh wit a pinion 0which is co-rotative with a driving gear p which is in mesh with apinion j which is co-rotative with the escapement wheel m speedcontrolled by an escapement n Oo-rotative with the gear 19 is a rheotomeor other suitable current varying means which I shall refer tooccasionally as a signaling wheel indicated at s in Figs. v1, 2 and 3which is provided with a limiting sto t.

'The main spring e is energized throug a key or crank u'which is rigidlysecured to a stop 0), andthe operation of the signaling spring drivingmechanism just described is such that upon the rotation of the crank itin the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3

the main spring e will become energized and will set the shaft f intorotation carrying with it the ratchet wheel 9 and rotating the drivingwheel h through the ,instrumentality of the s ring pressed pawl i andthrough the ear re ation with the ratchet mechanism ust described willcontrol the speed of rotation of .the drive, thereby giving sufficienttime forthe operation of the rheotome to cause the necessary variationin the strength of the electrical current traversing the electricalcircuit to send in the proper signal as will'be hereinafter more fullyexplained. In the meanwhile however, the crank it will be returning toits or' inal position, while the contact wheel 8 wil be executing arevolution on its axis until its movement will be arrested by the stopin t engaging thelstop '0, thus limiting to t e desired extent thedegree of rotation 'of the contact wheel s,which in turn is designed tocontrol the nature and character of the signal.

It will be observed particularly with referenee to Figs. 2 and 3 thatthe contact wheel 8 is provided with a number of cont act points s 8 sand s and that a contact spring w having a. contact point w bears wheel8 and the contact spring wis main tained in order that the electricalcircuit may be kept closed, exceptin at such time when a signal isbeingtransmitted. During the rotation of the contact wheel 8 the contactpoint w of the contact sprin w will interrupt the electrical circuit, 0'which these two members form part, until a contact point 8? shall comeincontact with the contact point to? of the spring to when the circuitwill again be closed the rotation in the meanwhile continuing will causethe second interruption of the current by opening the circuit after thecontact point w passes the contact point 3 and will again close theelectrical circuit at the contact point 8, thus giving to the electricalcurrent traversing the circuit two impulses in quick succession, thenature of which are known in the Morse alphabet as dots, and upon thecontinued rotation of the contact wheel 8 the contact point to ofthe'spring to will make a some wliat lengthened contact upon the segment8 of the contact wheel 8 and continue thereafter to make two dots in themanner aforesaid, thus it will be observed that the signal sent in inthis instance will be a dash, two dots a dash and one dot.- traversinthe electrical eircuit presently to be descri ed of which the contactspring w and the contact wheel 8 form a art are communicated to adistant oint w ereat the recording apparatus is ocated through themedium of the conductors and circuit connections a, polarized rela aline wire a through central station swltchboard a", communicating linewire a polarized relay a, signaling circuit wire a communicating contactwheel .9 and communicating contact spring w, conductor a to signalingmagneto bell a to telephone switch a l, and when switch a is depressedby the weight of the telephone receiver hanging thereon, through saidtelephone switch and conductor a and conductor a", thence to tele honeswitchboard a, to conductor a, tience to coin ductor a to callerstelephone switch a, presuming the same to be in contact with theconductor a by the wei ht of the telephone receiver hanging there rom asaforesaid, through contact a magneto call bell a, conductor a), contactspring to and contact wheel 8.

Due to the nature of the electrical current developed by the magnetocall bell a", at the signaling station traversing the circuit as.

a and a in the circuit with its armature b restrained against a stop Ifby a tension spring 1), whereby a polarized armature '11 These impulseslOO' of the relay will respond but to unidirectional currents, therebylengthening the period of vibrations of the armature b to double that ofthe impulses of the magneto bell which is transmitting the signal.

The armature bis provided with a contact point I) which bears against astop b which closes the circuit of a local battery 0 through the mediumof the conductors and connections and ,electrical devices to wit localbatte wire 0 rela armature Z) local circuit wire 0 electro-magnct 0,local battery v. ire c eflecting for each contact between thecontact-points b and b of the polarized relay at both ends of the line,the closing of both local circuits as aforesaid and the energization ofthe electro-magnet c.

The elkactro-magnet a is provided with an armature c" which is retractedby a tension spring 0 a ainst a step 0 (see Fig. 4) and is so ad ustedso as to respond to the closing pf the local battery circuit aforesaid.Secured to and carried by the armature c is a platen e which when theelectro-magnet becomes impulsively energized sufficiently to attract thearmature c, it forces the strip of paper (1 against the inked printinwheel 9, thus marking. itwith a series 0 imprints which articulate withthe impulses of the polarized relay aforesaid, and will have the effectof making a series of dots as long as the magneto bell is in action.This does not, hOVvever, interfere with the nature of the signal aboutto be transmitted over the line by the contact wheel 8 uhich has adistinct characteristic signal de ending upon the dots and dashes inselecte order.

The control of the recording apparatus as depicted, more particularly inFigs. 1, :3 and 5, 1s etfected by the electro-Inagnetic mech anismco-acting with the spring motor consisting of the main spring e, drivingwheel h, ratchet wheel gand spring ressed pawl aforesaid, and the speedcontrdl escapement mechanism already, described, and in this connectionthe electro-magnet c which is secured to the casing of the instrumentdoes not only when energized effect the printing of the record on thetape in the manner aforesaid throu' h the instrumentality of itsarmature c, ut as well controls the feed of the tapeby the-feed roller 0through the stop mechanism co-actin with the said armature during theperiod 0 its attraction with the electro-magnct c", and to this end Iprovide the armature c" with a universally jointed arm 0 and c, whichmay appear more lucid by referring to Fi s. 4 and 5. The portion 0 whichshall re er to as an arm, is pivoted to the armature c in bearingrelation by a stud c and carries an arm 0 fpivoted perpendicularlytotheaxis of the a resaid arm,

and the two said arms are restricted by a tension spring '0 to bearagainst the seat 0 of a spiral boss 0" and against the pinion pdescribed by the when the armature is retracted by said spring c Oneterminal of the said spring 0 is secured to the armature, and the otherend thereof to the arm 0 The arm 0" is provided with a follower c, whichwhen the armature is retracted by its spring in the manner aforesaid andforces the arm 0 upon the drum 0 follows the worm c" until the terminalof the arm 0" is carried in juxtaposition to the stop 0" pro jectingfrom the drum 0. This stop mechanism for arresting the feed of the tapewhen the local -battery circuit is open is one of the features of myinvention. Upon the energizin of the local battery circuit as alreadyolarized relay, the arm 0 co-actin with the armature 0 being attractedby the electro-ma et will lift clear of the drum 0 and thefo lower (1will become disengaged from the worm 0 thus releasing the stopmechanismand permitting the feed of the tape in the manner already described,while the record is being imprinted on the tape by the lifting of theplaten 6 During the u and down movement of the arm 0" b t e pulsationsin the electrical circuit W ich controls the armature c", the sto pin 0"contacting with the terminal of t e arm 0 will arrest the tape asalready described, but it will be understood,

that it will re uire at least a complete revolution of the rum 0 totransmit the complete signal and to bringthe wheel 8 again to itsstarting point.

It will be observed in Fi 2 and'3 that the contact wheel 8 is rovi edwith an additional means for ma ing contact as shown at s whichrepresents the adaptation of further characters to be printed on the tae,of the recordin instrument as already escribed. In said il ustrationlet it be understood that a record is to be made upon the recordin tape.a of a transmitting instrument at a distant point as already describedin connection with Figs. 1 and 2 upon the turning of thehandle u in Fig.3 in'the direction of the arrow and the transmission of the message, theimprint of said-message u on the tape a will bea dash, two dots, a ash,one dot, a space and a dash, which may be interpreted to mean 5113,party J, Cortlandt, the dash being understood as 5 when. followed by twodots, and the two dots for one each and the dash preceded-by two dots,3, and the one dot after a line, and the'length of "the space followedby adash, determining both the code for the district as well as theparty.

It is obvious that any character of signal desired consisting of theinterruptions in the circuit through a series of contact points of thecharacter described, may be adapted to a code to accomplish the pur oseof my invention; In order to record t e date and hour of the signal uponthe ta e a, I provide a lever f, f actuated by t e arm a of the armaturec on its upward movement, which lever is pivoted at f. The lever f fcarries at the terminal of its arm f a time and date stamp f 13consisting of a clock rigidly secured by its hour staff f to theterminal of the said arm f against rotation. While the clock f revolvesabout its hour stafi f 14 it brings the perimeter of the casing f andthe characters thereon into a printing osition, with reference to the tae a.- ese characters are arranged in e ua divisions in accordance withthe time in ours or subdivisions between them for minutes and fractionsthereof.

The casing f of the clock f is subdivided at f and a second drum fcarried by a calendar Wheel of the clock is familiarly arranged with resect to the date, as is the perimeter of the c ock aforesaid arranged forthe hours and fractions thereof. It will be observed with reference toFig. 3 that while printing the time upon the tape, a somewhat elongatedplaten f supports said tape.

In order to prevent the ap aratus from being tampered with incase t esame in a suitable envelop or casing, and to render the apparatusexclusive I provide a key switch 7c and a second supplemental switch 70both of which being requlsite to render the system operative or inoerative. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, t e arrangement of these twoswitches to short circuit the relay by wires a and a will be obvious.The switch It being a key renders interference with the instrumentsomewhat difficult, for the reason that both switches k and 76 must beclosed in order to cut out or short circuit the polarized relay a Inoperating my improved annunciator by the system of distribution, andelectromagnetic and other mechanism just described, it will beunderstood that inasmuch as the current which is transmitted from asignaling station is of a pulsatory character, furnished by a magneto itwill be necessary at the-time of sending the signal to pull down thecrank it in Fig. 3 to its full extent, and before releasing the same toturn the crank ofthe magneto several times in rapid succession by theother hand of the operator, while central has established the throughconnection. I

Since it is the magneto at the transmlttmg .station'which furnishes theenergy for operating the olarize'd relay at the recording station, t earmature of the polarized relay will vibrate ra idly making a number ofcontacts with t e local recording battery in rapid succession, butduring this period the transmitting contact wheel 8 moving at thecustomary slow speed for call boxes Wlll make contactwith the spring 112asfalready stated making and breaking the magneto (in-cit with adistinct character which will 7 ma rk the contrast between thepulsations of the magneto currentirnoreovei' owingv to the T ized relayarmature at the recording end, the

local battery circuit will be rapidly ener 'zed i and deenergized, theeifect of which. be the printing of the tape as though the magnetocurrent were a continuous one. The

reason of this being that the dot printed by the impulse during eachenergization of the llocal circuit will be sufficiently rapid by thepulsating nature of. the magneto circuit to eflect the 'printin of thedots sufliciently closeas to lendt cm into the construction of a line,or dash, but the desired interrup:

tion of the printing is caused by the opening of the magneto circuitbetween thecontact points of the contact wheel 8 by the spring w. Itwill be understood however, that in lieu of the magneto being employedas a means for transmitting. the'signal over the line an ordinarycontinuous current call bellsystem as has been commonly in voguemay beemployed, and when my improved re-' cording telephonic annunciator isadapted on systems of communication employing a signaling system whichis transmitted froma central station, the central station .is instructedto transmit a lengthy signal prior to the operator at the transmittingstation releasing the crank u, which signal should be of sufficientduration to enable the contact wheel 8 to make one complete revolution.

It is obvious in lieu of using a code of signals such as I have alreadydescribed, I may select the usual call box method and number eachsignaling wheel .5; with the requisite number of contacts to indicatethe ordinals in the list of subscribers of such call box, and referencebeinghad to a list of such subscribers, the telephonic number.indicating the number of the respective call box will at once give thenecessary intelligence to ascertain the desired information.

I am aware'that prior to my invention call 1. In a telephonic recordingannunciator, I

the combination of a main closed circuit and signaling apparatus thereinof a signaling alarm device and, a unidirectional operative relay, and anormally open local circuit involving a battery and electro ma at, and arecording apparatus actuated t ereby together with a shortcircuiting'switch in shunt with the relay.

rent alarm devices t erefor of a signaling magneto, a unidirectionaloperative relay, a

local circuit, a battery and a recording apparatus co-acting therewithand actuated thereby together with means controlled by the relay adaptedto chronologically impress the record.

4. In a telephonic recording annumziator;

the combination with the main circuit of a polarized relay, a localcircuit cooperating therewith, an intermittent current signaling magnetoin circuit with the relay, a printing and recording device controlled bythe local circuit and said relay, and a time recorder operated by theprinting and recording derice.

5. In a telephonic recording annunciator, the con'ibination with a maincircuit having receiving alternate current transmitting and alarmdevices, of a olarized signaling relay,

a local circuit and battery cooperating with said relay, a recordingapparatus co-aeting with the said local circuit and battery, and achronological impress mechanism adapted to time the record.

6. In a telephonic system and in combination with the magneto alarmdevice, a recording annunciator, a polarized relay operated thereby, alocal circuit cooperating therewith, an intermittcnt'current signalinginstrument in circuit with the relay, a printing and recording devicecontrolled by the local circuit and relay, tape feed mechanismcooperating with the printing device and a stop therefor embracing a camand follower controlled by the energy of the telephonic e ireuit.

In a telephonic system and in combination with the alarm magneto of arecording annunciator, a polarized relay in the teleihonic circuitoperated by the magneto, a local circuit cooperating with the relay, anintermittent signaling device in circuit with the relay, a tape feedprinting device controlled by the local circuit and a timing rccordereo-acting therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 5th day of December1907.

ROBERT D. ln-UlPSON. Witnessesi C. E. MULREANY, M. E. Doom.

